Inspiring Optimal & Intentional Living!

There are several life-changing golden nuggets of success found in my reading of The Greatest Salesman in the World this week. I choose to fully absorb these nuggets into my innermost thinking with the ultimate outcome being optimal and effortless success. Following are just a few of my favorite insights. Certainly consider adopting as your own.

“I will commence my journey (of optimal and perpetual success) unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of meaningless experience.” Take-away: Quickly evaluate all input and proactively choose to not spend my precious time listening to or pondering stories, information or anything that is “unnecessary” or misaligned with my vision of myself and my future. Also, choose not to engage in activities or “experiences” that hold no real or true value for me. This rethinking alone is priceless.

“In truth, experience teaches thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men’s years so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire her special wisdom.” Take-away: There are times that experience is “not the best teacher” when time is of the essence. I must fret not and fully embrace what I have right where I am however garnered and leverage the experiences of others.

One more…“…the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits.” Take-away: Identify the habits that support optimal success and then establish them for myself! Yes, that is easier said than done and I will expand on this very, very important point in my next blog post so plan to check back in just a few days for some fantastic directives on how to break and create habits. Until then, and always…keep believing!

Today, I start a new phase of my life and I’m thrilled…thrilled first at the idea that at any point in the living experience a decision can be made to start something new…to start again, to rebuild, to redesign, to have a “life mulligan” (like a golf do over)…to “begin again.” I love the freshness and energizing effect of a clean slate and the idea that I can give myself one at any point. I choose now! So can you.

This week marks the beginning of the MKMMA Mastermind program which I’ve participated in off and on the last couple of years. One of our requirements is to read the scrolls in the book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, daily — actually multiple times daily. Scroll Marked 1 begins with these words, “Today I begin a new life.” How really cool is that idea? Can you see the benefits of beginning a new life or some aspect of your life? The way I see it, everyday above ground provides us an opportunity to do better, think better, be better…new, fresh, exciting opportunities to grow. There is value in simply embracing the idea of beginning something new and I trust you can see it. Think about your life for a minute…what aspect of your current living experience would you like to inject something new or completely start over (with the benefit of the lessons learned to date)? What would your ideal look like?

One more thing…one of my favorite passages in this first reading is “I will commence my journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of meaningless experience.” Wow…do you get the point here? With so very many potential distractions around us — some really good options — consider constructing barriers to wasted energy based on your new life goal(s) by ignoring or avoiding investing in unnecessary knowledge and meaningless experiences. Say no to some good things so you’ll have the bandwidth to say yes to some great things! Ok, enough for now…I have some rebuilding to do. Until next time and always…keep believing!!

What would you do if today was your last day to live? Would you change anything on your schedule? Who would you call? What would you say? Is there anyone in your life you need to apologize to and/or forgive? Are you right with your creator? What have you always wanted to do? Can you do it today? Who could you bless today? How could you most express / demonstrate love? What can you do today to exemplify what you want people to remember you by?

Whoa…a lot of really great questions huh?…questions that can yield important answers that could and should impact our choices of activities for today and any additional days we may be blessed to have. Recently our Master Key Mastermind group ended the reading of the scroll marked five in Og Mandino’s Greatest Salesman of the World book. The repeated stated message is, I will live this day as if it is my last…What shall I do with this last precious day? This is not a new question to me. I have asked myself the question more than once and often posed it to audiences I have spoken to over the years. Each time, however it causes me to pause and re-evaluate my current plans. I trust it will do the same for you.

Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, is often attributed to the following quote:

If you have only 24 hours before you take your last breathe, what would you do with the next 60 minutes? …the next 5 minutes?

I certainly pray that both you and I have many more days ahead to enjoy, contribute and love in this life experience. I simultaneously know that living each day as if it is our last is a great way to prompt us to think of how to optimize each amazing moment of life we’ve been given. I encourage you to really pause, ask and answer these questions posed and adjust your choices accordingly. Live in such a way that at the end, both you and God will say “Well done!”

The word FEAR has long been said to mean False Evidence Appearing Real and certainly whoever coined that has a point…a good point. When fear is present / evident, very often it is based on something we have created or allowed to enter our mental space that is not grounded in reality…it’s an undesirable imagined outcome. With that said I came up with another way to break down the letters in the word FEAR…not as succinct but it makes the point.
F – For
E – Emergencies only
A – Always
R – Restore faith and peace quickly

Note: Fearless living sounds really nice and to a significant extent a desired state however in our zeal for optimal states of living we must remember that fear in some impending real danger circumstances serves us well. Life is not always absolute black and white…we must be able to see and leverage gray.

Check out my friend and colleague, Rhonda Britten. She launched Fearless Institute years ago and in this brief video clip she shares a tip you might want to use. Until next time, and always…keep believing!

I can remember my mother often saying to me, “You can sell the Brooklyn Bridge and not even own it!” As a young child not even knowing where Brooklyn was I didn’t totally understand her comment but she said it with such conviction and so often that I believed her. (As my friend Les Brown would often say, sometimes you have to borrow someone else’s belief until yours kicks in.) Mama would further say, “…so stand tall, head up, shoulders back, put a smile on your face and go sell that bridge!!” I would obediently take that physical posture along with her faith and found myself doing some really incredible things. The success I met fed my belief and a wonderful cycle of significant achievements in my life began. Today whenever my confidence may be challenged I remember her directive of taking a power stance (my words, not hers) and reconnect with her belief in me and mine in God, and I quickly shift anxiety to excitement.

This week in our mastermind group our fearless leader, Mark Januszewski (Mark J) shared his experience with using his body posture to bolster his confidence whenever desired. He would intentionally raise his testosterone level and reduce his cortisol level via body positioning right before major presentations or other important people engagements. Yes, our body positioning can and does impact not only how others see us but how we see ourselves. It really is a simple and wonderful fact–one that can totally shift outcomes for you. So here is your mission, should you decide to accept it, check out the high and low power poses below and then practice high-power poses for two or more minutes a day especially before any important meetings or events to experience this amazing power.

Mark shared with us a video of Amy Cuddy doing a TED talk (Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are) back in June 2012 discussing various experiments she and her team facilitated to support this concept. (Click on the link below to see it yourself–it is well worth your time.) This research confirms what my mama (and perhaps your mama) used to say decades ago. Indeed Mama’s wisdom was confirmed!

Wow, I just finished watching the documentary “I Am” (Tom Shadyac) twice! What a stimulating, thought provoking and inspiring documentary pointing to our common reality and what we are equipped to do about it. It is based on seeking the answers to two basic questions, “What’s wrong with our world?” and “What can we do about it?” One of Albert Einstein’s quotes summarizes it all. He said, “Humanity is going to require a substantially new way of thinking if it is to survive.” I agree.

The documentary graphically highlights real, modern day issues we face, beliefs we hold, and attitudes we exemplify. It says we tell ourselves “stories” to live…stories that are often based on faulty premises. One of the many thoughts shared was the idea of many being cannibalistic…not eating the actual flesh of another but eating the life of another by unconscionable self interest and boundless materialism. What is enough? Were we really ‘born to buy’ and is ‘less’ really a bore?’ How is it okay to step over or simply ignore those around us who simply want and need life sustaining food? Many waste more than homeless people can imagine? What is further disturbing is the fact that we are hardwired for compassionate response to the trouble of others yet far too many ‘choose’ to override that until it is a major event i.e. 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, or the likes.

Even more exciting was the revelation that science (a story we tell) is finally catching up with understanding what God put in place eons ago. We are truly amazing creatures with extraordinary abilities to influence and love. Our emotions modulate our heart signals and emanates a measurable magnetic field that impacts/affects those around us and ultimately our world! Ok…I know I’m throwing a lot at you in this one post but it is really fascinating and there is so much more. I’m thrilled that this was one of the films we were encouraged to watch in our Master Key Mastermind group and I likewise encourage you to do the same. I’ve enclosed a few links below so you can watch it, be amazed, and most importantly do something with what you learn. What is wrong with the world and simultaneously what is right with the world? The answer is, I am…and you are!

You want answers and results? Be still and concentrate, focus and think!

In our Master Key Mastermind reading this week, we focused (pun intended) on the power, simplicity and ease of concentration. There were quite a few “thought provoking passages” in the reading and I thought it would be valuable to you to share a few to provoke your thinking. Read each passage and then pause to really think about it. What does it mean as a stand along statement? How do you interpret it as it compares to your existing beliefs? How, if at all, can you benefit from applying the principle to your life? And finally, what will you do with this information…if anything? Ok, here we go…

The first foundational statement is: “Concentration is much misunderstood; there seems to be an idea of effort or activity associated with it, when just the contrary is necessary.” Do you associate an action, effort of activity with the idea of concentration…something you need to do?

“There is always the cry ‘to have’ but never the cry ‘to be.'” Humm…

“The intensity of one moment’s earnest concentration and the intense longing to become and to attain may take you further than years of slow normal and forced effort; it will unfasten the prison bars of unbelief, weakness, impotence and self-belittlement…” Wow. What do you think of that?

“As food absorbed is the essence of the body, so the mind absorbs the object of its attention, gives it life and being.” I revise the statement somewhat to: As food absorbed fortifies the essence of the body, so the mind absorbs the object of its attention and brings the ideas to life. What is your reaction to that idea?

Another of my favorites is, “Intuition usually comes in the silence; great minds seek solitude frequently.” I certainly know without question that there is power in silence. Being still allows you to hear God speaking…His direction…His answers! Do you take time to just be silent, alone and still?

Last note: It is very important to be selective, strategic and thoughtful about what you choose to concentrate on. Be very careful here. Many people pursue symbols of power instead of power itself. The reading puts it this way, “You may be pursuing fame instead of honor, riches instead of wealth, position instead of servitude; in either event you will find that they turn to ashes just as you overtake them. Premature wealth or position cannot be retained because it has not been earned; we get only what we give, and those who try to get without giving always find that the law of compensation is relentlessly bringing about an exact equilibrium.” One of my favorite passages is: “If you wish to eliminate fear, concentrate on courage; If you wish to eliminate lack, concentrate on abundance; If you wish to eliminate disease, concentrate on health. Always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact!.”